


pendulum

by literallyliterature



Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Not Canon Compliant, Padawan Anakin Skywalker, Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi, Slow Burn, Time Travel Fix-It, age adjustments for personal purposes, probably OOC Anakin and Obi-Wan, really just a personal indulgent fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-15
Updated: 2020-04-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:33:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23153305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/literallyliterature/pseuds/literallyliterature
Summary: You had never stood out much before Order 66, it was what had kept you alive during the rise and fall of the Galactic Empire. However, when the Force returns you to the time from before the Jedi were nearly forced into extinction and you are the only one with any recollection of what is to occur in the future you set out to prevent Anakin Skywalker's fall to the dark side. Like a pendulum, the future seems to oscillate between extremes as you interfere.
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker/Reader, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Anakin Skywalker/Reader, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Reader
Comments: 35
Kudos: 166





	1. prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own any of the characters, all Star Wars characters and concepts belong to LucasFilms and Disney.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own any of the characters, all Star Wars characters and concepts belong to LucasFilms and Disney.  
> un-beta'd

You always knew you were more of a background character- even during the war you had never made a name for yourself. Not that it had truly ever bothered you, your ability to blend seamlessly into surroundings had served you well since the Jedi purge. You were able to survive because of it- adapting a new persona cemented with a little bit of force suggestion. 

You had few friends after the Jedi were declared public enemy number one, they had taken it upon themselves to help relocate you into a life of isolation far outside of the reach of the newly formed Galactic Empire. The planet was within the Outer Rim and the locals kept to themselves and were entirely uninterested with you which suited your interests just fine- your years as a Jedi Knight were now far behind you. 

It was impossible to ignore the loss and grief that filled the Force, even this far out from Coruscant. The constant state of turmoil weighed heavily on you as you lay awake at night wondering if there was any way to have prevented this outcome. The signs that Chancellor- now Emperor- Palpatine was the Sith Lord that had been so easily overlooked during the Clone wars now seemed so glaringly obvious. In retrospect, Skywalker’s descent into the dark side of the Force was seemed entirely preventable as well. After twenty-three years of mulling over the events that had occurred leading up to Order 66 you were able to think of a solution to almost every shatterpoint that would occur. Sure, there were still some variables that were unknown to you, but you felt confident in your ability to prevent this outcome supplied with not only the Living Force but aspects of the Unifying Force as well. 

You weren’t exactly sure what the Force had planned when you found yourself thrown back in time, years before the events that would lead to the destruction and annihilation of the Jedi. The only thing you knew for certain was that you intended to prevent Anakin Skywalker’s fall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright, so this will be a multichapter fic with slowburn romance as the reader tries to remedy the past. it is entirely self-indulgent and as I have little to no knowledge of Star Wars outside the movies and a few episodes from the various TV shows it will probably be inaccurate in some areas concerning timeline and characterization. I will do my best to keep it as accurate as possible. the chapters are likely to get longer as this was meant as more of an introduction to the main story than anything.


	2. act 1 scene 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own any of the characters, all Star Wars characters and concepts belong to LucasFilms and Disney.  
> un-beta'd  
> Reader is 8 Obi-Wan is 13

Okay, so being eight again kind of sucked. You had to participate in lessons you had long ago memorized, and your body didn’t have the muscle memory or stamina that you had built up during your years as a Padawan. When you had originally thought of solutions for Anakin’s shatterpoints you had never once considered what you could do to prevent his fall before he was even planetside. However, with a little bit of meditation, you were able to see the opportunity the Force had given you by taking you this far back in time.

At first you had considered telling the Council that the Force had given you a vision of the Chosen one, a slave on Tatooine who was somewhere around the age of three who needed to be taken into the Order as soon as possible to begin his training. It only took you a few minutes to realize how awful of a plan that was- as a youngling you wouldn’t be attuned enough with the Force to receive, let alone interpret and understand, such a vision. Your second thought was to tell Grand Master Yoda you felt someone strong within the Force but ultimately that wouldn’t work either as you knew you would be unable to argue that you had sensed something he could not. In the end it was less of a headache to let things play out as they had in the original future, at least until Anakin came to the Temple. Besides, the shatterpoints you had planned meticulously for occurred partially as a result of Anakin joining the Order years after it would be appropriate to begin training.

You refused to remain idle. If your original future had taught you anything it was that time moved quicker than you would like. Because you had the memories of your older self you were aware that the future Chancellor was a Sith Lord and you wanted to limit his control in this timeline. That meant understanding the Senate, politics in general, as well as the planets that would dissent and join the Confederacy of Independent Systems you knew as the Separatist alliance. If you were able to figure out how he was able to influence the events that led up to the Clone Wars and eventual fall of the Galactic Republic to the Galactic Empire, then maybe you could prevent them from even occurring this time around. Thus, you would spend what little spare time you had as a Youngling in the Temple’s archives studying up on these topics. It was through this research that you met Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Previously you had never had a conversation with the Jedi Master. Really your only interactions were when you were receiving assignments from or giving a mission report to the Council. There hadn’t been much room for overlap within your lives- he was five years your senior and was training his own Padawan long before you were no longer one. He was Qui Gon Jinn’s Padawan and then he was the Chosen One’s Master. Your progression had not been as quick, you were knighted a few years before he accepted a seat on the High Council. He was the perfect example of what a Jedi should strive to be.

Not to mention he was a legend, known during the Clone Wars as the Negotiator for his silver tongue. His name popped up in the HoloNet news and battle reports as often as Skywalker’s did. Obi-Wan Kenobi had been just as well-known as his Padawan to the public and just as beloved. You weren’t sure what his fate had been after Order 66, only that he had been the one to kill General Grievous before the order was issued.

You weren’t sure what the outcome from you befriending him in this timeline would be, so you had done your best to steer clear and remain on your separate paths. Unfortunately, your time spent in the Archives put you directly into his personal orbit.

* * *

“Master Nu!” You greeted the woman warmly. The corners of her lips curled up when she nodded in acknowledgment at your presence before she turned to assist a Knight. You moved towards the stations more in the back of the archives where you usually hunkered down and studied when you noticed somebody in your spot. He couldn’t be that much older than you, the length of the small auburn braid hanging from his head indicated he was a newer Padawan learn.

“You’re in my spot,” you blurt out.

“Why, hello there,” he replies nonchalantly. The thick Coruscanti accent was almost familiar but you couldn’t put a name to it.

“Who are you? I don’t think I’ve seen you around before.” You squint at him, as if that will help you identify this stranger.

“I am Obi-Wan. And you are?” And it makes sense. If you’re eight then Obi-Wan is about thirteen, his years as Qui Gon’s Padawan Learner are just beginning.

“I’m [Y/N],” you answer. “And you’re still in my spot, Obi-Wan.” He snorts at that, covering it up as a cough into his elbow when Master Nu glares over at the two of you. He chuckles softly and offers you his hand. When you take it the Force hums gently, undeniably happy.

“I have a feeling we are going to get along, little one.” You know then your paths can no longer be separate as they had once been. It was probably for the best; it would be easier to do what you needed to keep the galaxy from falling into chaos with Obi-Wan as a trusted companion. And the Force seemed to approve of and support a friendship between the two of you. You weren’t quite sure what the implications of that meant at this moment, but you were willing to figure it out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, so I've altered the ages a little bit so reader has a five/six-year difference with both of the boys. basically when Anakin is 9 and Obi-Wan is 20 reader is fourteen.  
> again, I have only watched the movies and a few clone wars episodes so I may have gotten some details wrong and if I did I am sorry. anyways, I hope you enjoy!


	3. act one scene 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own any of the characters, all Star Wars characters and concepts belong to LucasFilms and Disney.  
> un-beta'd  
> Reader is 11 Obi-Wan is 16

Obi-Wan hadn’t been wrong, the two of you got on like a house fire. His dry sense of humor had thrown you off at first, but eventually, you adapted to it, replying to him with equal levels of sarcasm. You had always assumed from the stories of the legendary Jedi Master that he would have been disciplined and boring in his youth- he was anything but. What had shocked you the most, especially knowing of his mastery of Soresu, was his use of Ataru. You chalked it up to his lessons with Master Jinn, who was known for being a sort of maverick within the order.

You were close with your agemates, sure. It wasn’t the same kind of relationship as with the Padawan though; you were close and joked with your youngling clanmates because you spent almost every moment of your day with them but with Obi-Wan you were able to say what you were thinking and he’d share stories of his missions and own experiences as a youngling with you. You weren’t exactly sure when it had happened, or even how it had really happened for that matter, but you had actually become friends with Obi-Wan.

If Master Jinn noticed your growing attachment to his Padawan he didn’t say anything. In fact, he seemed to approve of you, smiling warmly and greeting you whenever you two crossed paths. You fell into a sort of pattern with the duo, seeing them off before missions that required them to leave Coruscant and welcoming them back with a hug when they returned to the temple after.

* * *

“Obi-Wan!” You tackled into him before he even had a moment to step off the ship. You couldn’t control your excitement; you hadn’t seen your auburn-haired friend in three standard months, and he hadn’t communicated once in that span of time. You had so much you wanted to fill him in on- like how you were excelling in your lessons due to his advice and how you were finally cleared to participate in The Gathering. You remembered the pride you had felt after your original experience when you had constructed your first lightsaber, and you couldn’t wait to share that with him this time around.

“Hello, youngling.” Qui-Gon greeted with an amused chuckle.

“Master Qui-Gon!” You smiled so hard your cheeks hurt, releasing Obi-Wan to give the older Jedi a loose hug.

“You’re awfully chipper for someone who struggles to be awake this early,” Obi-Wan teased. You rolled your eyes. Obi-Wan had learned quickly over the last three years of your friendship that you were not an early riser and were not someone to associate with before you were completely awake- be it after a nap or in the morning on the rare occasions that your breakfast times overlapped.

“Don’t be such a killjoy, I heard you were getting back early today, and I could barely sleep! Grand Master Yoda said I could participate in The Gathering, so I get to leave the planet and go to Ilum. Which means I get to collect a kyber crystal which also means I get to build my very own lightsaber. And then I might be selected to be a Padawan learner, just like you!”

“Ah, I remember how excited I was for my own Gathering. It is a pivotal moment in every younglings route to apprenticeship.” Qui-Gon gently patted your head before stepping off the ship. “I have no doubt you will succeed in the challenge and become one step closer towards what the Force intends for you.”

“Do you think I’ll make a good Padawan?” In your original timeline you had passed the Initiate trials and were selected by your master after participating in a lightsaber competition, but you were advancing a little faster than you had originally and you weren’t sure what that meant for your path to Jedi Knight.

“I think you’ll make trouble for any Knight or Master brave enough to take training you on, little one,” Obi-Wan said. You push him playfully and he tosses an arm over your shoulder and drags you alongside him as he moves towards the temple. “I have no doubt you will become an amazing Jedi someday, [Y/N].” He tousles your hair before shoving you away from him.

“Whatever,” you snort. You look over your shoulder hoping he won’t see the smile creeping over your cheeks. “Last one to the refractory is rotten bantha fodder!” You yell, turning on your heal and running towards the dining hall on this level of the temple. You hear him scoff before he follows after you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> more of a filler chapter to show a bit of the friendship reader has formed with Obi-Wan.


	4. act 1 scene 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own any of the characters, all Star Wars characters and concepts belong to LucasFilms and Disney.  
> un-beta'd  
> Reader is 11 in this chapter and Obi-Wan is 16

“Hey, Obi-Wan?” You keep your voice low, looking up at the Padawan through your lashes. You had gone to the Archives after lessons to look over the various designs of lightsabers.

You couldn’t explain how but you knew that your experience with obtaining your kyber crystal and building your lightsaber would be different this time. You were participating in the Gathering almost two standard years earlier than you had in your original future and you were also a different person then you had been before. You couldn’t explain it, but the you from the original future felt more and more like a distant dream. You weren’t sure why that was, weren’t sure you wanted to know. Perhaps it was that this time you had a deeper connection to the Force than before or maybe your friendship with Obi-Wan had something to do with it.

You were still firm in your resolve to stop Anakin from falling to the darkside, but you were not unaware of your memories fading as the days went along. You could no longer remember the name of your Master. Once, when you had tried to meditate on it, the Force pushed back against you as if telling you that was no longer the path you were meant to follow. Time went on and you couldn’t help but feel that your path _was_ diverging, running parallel to the one you had been on before.

Obi-Wan hummed in acknowledgment, breaking you free from these thoughts.

“What color do you think my lightsaber will be?” You ask, putting aside the flimsi you had been using to sketch on. He looked up from his datapad he had been studying, tilting his head as he looked at you.

“I’m not sure. I guess we will just have to wait and see, I suppose.” He looks back to his own research and you roll your eyes. After a few beats of silence, you let out a deep breath. His lips twitch up to a smirk and he quirks an eyebrow in response. You let out another loud sigh and he gives in. “What?”

“Seriously? You’re no help,” you groan. He set aside his datapad and leaned back in his seat, finally giving you the attention you craved. “Come on! I’m leaving for Ilum in three days. You’re my closest friend, get excited with me. Won't you miss me, it’s one of the first time I’m leaving the planet.”

“Something you like to mention every time we’re together,” he replies sardonically.

“Now you’re just being mean!” You kick him under the table, your cheeks heating up as you flush.

He laughs. You try hard not to, but you join in and you’re laughing so hard your sides hurt and you’re in tears. You’re loud enough that Master Nu comes by your table and gives you a harsh warning that has you biting on the inside of your cheeks. You watch her go and giggle when Obi-Wan catches your eye and exaggerates a grimace. Your laughter slowly dissipates, and a friendly silence settles between the two of you and the Force buzzes happily around you. You wanted to stay in this moment forever.

“I will,” Obi-Wan says. “Miss you, I mean. Annoying as you are, it will be weird to not have you around.” He picks his datapad before you even get a chance to process what he’s said. Your grinning from ear to ear when he glances back up at you.

* * *

You’re not sure what your feeling when you wake up the day you’re set to leave for Ilum with the other younglings who were also deemed ready to graduate to Padawan learners. You know you’ll be provided with a coat upon arrival in Ilum to protect you from the planets biting cold temperatures and anything you could possibly need to build a lightsaber will be made available to you after you retrieve your kyber crystal. Still, it felt like you were forgetting something as you made your way to the space dock.

“Leaving without saying goodbye?” The familiar Coruscanti accent caused a smile to creep across your face.

“How long have you been waiting here?” You ask with a laugh.

“Just a few minutes. Master Qui-Gon and I will be leaving for a mission and I figured if I got here early enough I would be able to see you before you left for Ilum.”

“Ah, I guess that explains why you’ve gone with me to the Archives the last few days. Where are you going this time?” You ask.

“Mandalore, we are being sent out to protect Duchess Satine.”

“Obi-Wan Kenobi, are you off to steal another damsel in distress’s heart?” You tease. A light flush dusts over his cheeks before he coughs into his fist.

“I knew I should’ve never told you about that.” You laugh and surge forward to wrap your arms around him in a tight hug. He pats your shoulder and you rest your chin on his chest so you can see his face.

“I’ll comm you as soon as I finish my lightsaber collection! I want you to be the first one to see it so you better answer when I call, okay? Oh, and you better finish up that mission and come back from Mandalore in time to watch me in the Apprentice Tournament, promise!” You shake him as you speak.

“Alright, alright!” He chuckles. “I promise to at least try, okay?” He pushes you away gently and holds his hands up in front of him in mock surrender. You hum contently and nudge him with your shoulder.

“I should probably get going, see you around.”

“May the Force be with you, [Y/N].”

“And may the Force be with you, Obi-Wan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> things are going to pick up a bit in pace. next chapter is solely focused on reader obtaining her kyber crystal and building her lightsaber so there will be a lack of obi-wan/reader interactions for a bit. after some research, I've decided on the lightsaber color, any guesses?

**Author's Note:**

> alright, so this will be a multichapter fic with slowburn romance as the reader tries to remedy the past. it is entirely self-indulgent and as I have little to no knowledge of Star Wars outside the movies and a few episodes from the various TV shows it will probably be inaccurate in some areas concerning timeline and characterization. I will do my best to keep it as accurate as possible. the chapters are likely to get longer as this was meant as more of an introduction to the main story than anything.


End file.
